


Whatever the Occasion

by oudeteron



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Ruby & Sapphire & Emerald | Pokemon Ruby Sapphire Emerald Versions
Genre: Couple Drama, Established Relationship, Gen, M/M, Nonbinary Character, Other, originshipping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-09
Updated: 2015-02-09
Packaged: 2018-03-11 10:14:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3323756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oudeteron/pseuds/oudeteron
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steven is faced with some very bad news, but could there be more to Wallace's sudden change in attitude than meets the eye? (Alternatively: will authors ever stop asking questions we can all already tell the answers to?)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Whatever the Occasion

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cherrytruck](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherrytruck/gifts).



> Based on a prompt requested by Che, the special lovely troll in my life. You too will see the trollage if you read the fic.

_Steven,_

_I've been thinking about our relationship together. It's been a good few years, but I feel like I need a break now to focus on my contest and gym leader work. Please don't take this the wrong way. I'll always love you, but I just need some space._

_Thank you,  
Wallace_

It had been a solid ten minutes since Steven began staring at the letter, turning it upside down in his hands, rereading the words but not getting anywhere nearer comprehension. How could Wallace have done this? After all this time, everything they had been through together, everything they had planned, he leaves with just a _letter_?

And so soon before Steven's birthday, no less. Though Steven had never been one to celebrate much, finding it silly to put so much stock in something he could take zero credit for, it still felt like especially bad timing for Wallace to leave him like this now. Wallace, ironically, who had always ranted at him about how his birthday was worth celebrating. Clearly not this year, and as far as Steven was concerned, it was doubtful if ever.

A sudden urge to crumple up the letter and throw it to the floor swept over him, but trailing behind was the horrible thought that this might be the last correspondence he'd have with Wallace, and so he set the paper aside without damaging it beyond the mark left by his fingers' shaky grip. Odd. Here he was, the accomplished master of steel in all its forms, and yet his hands were shaking like they had that first time he'd taken a step in the grass outside Rustboro. 

He called the Pokemon League office. He called the Sootopolis gym. Juan's surprised voice told him that the elder trainer had no idea Wallace had been planning to go anywhere, and that he'd contact Steven as soon as the man appeared at his home turf. 

Placated on the surface but far from calm, Steven made another phone call to his father. He would need a mountain of the paperwork he had until now been putting off to occupy his miserable waking minutes for the next week, or however long it took to wade through all that red tape. 

The letter sat quietly on the dinner table, right where Wallace's evening meal would have been. 

~

The following day passed in a blur. Steven was very aware of his father's concern - after all, his behaviour was instantly visible as being most unusual to anyone who really knew him - but all he gave were vague hints and reassurances that he was "dealing with it". Truth be told, he was dealing with nothing - nothing aside from the long overdue piles of charts and invoices and market data. But nor was he ready to share the totality of the news with someone else, because acknowledging it meant making it real. Wallace had broken up with him, and went off to who knew where. What "wrong way" was there for him to interpret this?

That night, Steven pulled a late shift and went back home on autopilot, staring at the letter on his bedside table until the sheer exhaustion of it all lulled him into sleep. 

~ 

And then it was his birthday. 

The whole day through, Steven ignored the inconvenient fact with determination, and fortunately for his nerves most of the people who thought to wish him a happy one knew not to press it when he only gave a polite reception and thanked them for their kind thoughts. He was beginning to suspect that sooner or later, the reason for his detached behaviour would become apparent, and then he would have to own up to his father and friends, at least - but not now, not today. He opted for another long administration run well into the evening, quitting only when the elder Mr Stone entered the blatantly insufficient light of Steven's office and uncompromisingly stated that the company was closing for the day and that this included _all_ staff.

Dejected, Steven shared a brief but dismal drink with the man before setting off on Skarmory's back to Mossdeep. As they flew he watched the last rays of the sun fade over the horizon, thoughts wandering in exactly the direction he had struggled to prevent all day. Wallace, wishing him a fussy happy birthday the year before, feeling as though it had been yesterday. Wallace, winking and waving at him, which Steven could make out even as the whole audience cheered, from the podium after powering through yet another Master rank contest. Wallace, giving him a good morning kiss, smiling at him over lunch, lying naked on his back and moaning in bed - 

An unexpected thud jolted Steven out of his recollection, and it took him a moment to recognize it as the usual procedure of Skarmory hitting the ground for him to dismount. Steven patted the steel bird on its head apologetically before recalling it into its Pokeball. With a sigh like he had never uttered in his life, he turned to face the darkened windows of his empty home - only to discover something that made his already crestfallen mood plummet right through the rocky ground. 

The door was ajar. 

Despite the occasional jokes to this effect, Steven did not actually value his stones more highly than certain human beings. That was still a long way from saying that he wouldn't mind it if his collection were stolen, however. The scenario was ridiculous to consider: Mossdeep was an exceptionally safe city in a safe region, and no doubt any enterprising "collector" selling a rare stone would elicit more than a little suspicion if they were someone other than Steven or perhaps a dedicated Ruin Maniac. On top of that, Steven was quite sure that none of his specimens had qualities that would make them attractive to any remnants of Team Magma or Aqua still roaming around. Who, then, could have broken into his home, not to mention why?

He hadn't explored every cave system in Hoenn and served as the League Champion for nothing, Steven repeated to himself with indignation as he approached the suspicious door, right hand hovering over one of his trusty Pokeballs. The antechamber was wholly devoid of movement, and when Steven turned the light on, nothing seemed to be disturbed in the least. His eyes and ears on high alert, Steven proceeded into the living room, and when he reached for the light switch, there was movement, sudden and swift and travelling in his direction - 

"Metagross, go!" 

There was the sound of glass shattering as Metagross materialized on the spot, too big and heavy for Steven's coffee table. In the same instant, Steven finally managed to switch on the light. What he saw made him take a step back, bumping hard right into his still immaculate stone collection.

"I...what is... _Wallace_?"

Sure enough, there he stood, clad in nothing but a revealing shirt, skin-tight underwear and a pair of stockings; an apparel that would have achieved a most pleasing effect had Wallace's expression not been one of utter shock to match Steven's. The two gaped at each other in silence for what felt like a full minute, Metagross still perched on the remains of the table between them while giving them alternative quizzical looks, before Wallace let out a nervous cough and dusted off his sleeves. "Um. Steven, welcome home. You may be angry and not believe me when I tell you, but this isn't how I was hoping this would go."

Steven's throat felt dry as chalk. "No?" he rasped with more spiteful conviction that he could put his heart to, "well, then how was it supposed to go, Wallace? As far as I recall, you left, with nothing but that letter over there..." Steven waved his hand uncertainly towards a piece of paper crumpled somewhere under Metagross' heavy arm. 

"Oh. Oh my. Steven, I'm so sorry."

"That's nice of you," Steven shot back, because otherwise he'd probably start to cry, "but could you perhaps explain this...the whole...and what are you even wearing?"

The faintest blush crossed Wallace's cheeks and Steven felt the familiar warmth in his chest that seemed to drown all his anger out. Taking advantage of Wallace's silence, or perhaps unable to bear it, he mused out loud, "You know, this almost looks like a failed birthday surprise plan..."

"Failed is right," Wallace choked out with something like a sob. "Steven, you really need to learn to relax a little. I was hiding out here, with a cake for you and some flowers and wearing this to give you a good look, I wanted it to be totally unexpected and you just go and let Metagross crush all the presents _and_ your own coffee table..."

"Wallace, for Rayquaza's sake." Steven's voice was torn between relief and total consternation. "When you didn't close the front door, it made me think there was a burglar! What would you have done if -"

"I didn't close the door? Oh, well...oops."

Steven leaned back against the vitrine holding his rocks. "So the, uh, the break-up note you left me...?"

"Love, I just thought that if I didn't do something dramatic and seemingly final, you _would_ expect me to get you a present and I wanted to surprise you..."

"Wallace." Steven took a step forward, recalling Metagross so as to be able to navigate the room. He avoided the sad mixture of flower petals, candle wax and some sort of sweet custard revealed in Metagross' wake and focussed his attention back on Wallace. "No surprise in the world would be worth actually breaking up with you. This...I don't know what to say, but please never do that again just to give me a heart attack when I _do_ find you like this."

"Heh. Point taken." 

Steven crossed the rest of the way towards Wallace, giving him a last stern look before he held out his arms to wrap them around his partner. "I don't believe you did this."

Wallace returned the hug with enthusiasm, nuzzling his cheek against Steven's hair. "To be honest, neither do I in retrospect..."

"Just forget presents," Steven whispered, still a little shaky but willing to disregard it in favour of making peace between the two of them. "Just let me have you, all right? That's all I ever want."

"Ah, but this experience sure has made you sincere," Wallace teased, holding Steven close. "But I am really sorry. Is there any way we can still make this a good birthday for you?"

Steven pulled back enough to give him a kiss. When they were done and gasping for breath, holding onto each other for dear life, he answered, "We'll see what we can do."

Sometimes, Steven decided, just appreciating what you had could be the best gift.


End file.
